I seem to have three problems. that could use your valueable knowledge.I have a 3 yr. old Hydrangea, facing west, that has lots of leaves, but has not produced any flowers. It is planted not far from a pee gee hydrangea same bed same light, the pee gee has lots of flowers. I don't remember the type of hydrangea, but I do know it starts to leaf out from the base. It didnt bloom last year, I left the stalks did no pruning, just to see what will happen this year. so far lots of leaves. do you think it will flower. is it an age thing. ??-I also have a weiglea, a minature, burgundy wine type, burgundy leaves, dark pink flowers, it was great the first year but over the last two years, a lot of the branches dont produce any leaves, just dead sticks. it is starting to leaf out but not on all the stems.Does it only leaf on new growth, should I be pruning it back? every year?-I planted the minature ever blooming lilac, facing east, the front of the shrub is doing great, lots of leaves and is now flowering, the back is just sticks, no leaves, if I prune off the dead will the plant come back, and fill in the back, the back is getting lots of light, it looks so unbalanced now. It had tiny buds like it was starting but nothing happened.

Is the hydrangea that is not blooming a macrophylla‎?....it sounds like it to me from the discription of the leaves being at the bottom.....You should protect this years canes from dying back over the winter....otherwise the flower buds will be killed off on the second year growth and you will not get flowers next year....Cut back all dead canes to new growth....fertilize (they are heavy feeders,but not too heavy on the nitrogen)...you will probably not get any blooms this year, but like I mentioned above, it is important to protect the branches from dying back too far....

Cut back any dead branches on both the weigelia and lilac...give them a wee bit of fertilizer and water sufficiently through the summer to see if they re coup......

No need to prune them back each year.....in fact, both bloom on second year wood....

Rule when to prune.....Prune a plant right after it flowers.....if you prune your lilac or weigelia in late summer or fall, you will be removing nexts years blossoms.....

Thank you Ian66, for the info,I will cut back the dead canes on the hydrangea now, but make sure I cover it for the winter, surrounding it with chicken wire and filling it with leaves, will that do it, or should I cover it with burlap? Does it make a difference what I use, What type of fertilizer should I use for all the shrubs?I normally dont prune, I know the weigela can bloom again late summer,early fall, I do a light pruning on the boomerange lilac after it blooms, and it blooms on and off all season, otherwise it grows too big.

Chicken wire and leaves would work well....use a general fertilizer like 10-10-10 on the shrubs ....fertilize them lightly now and again in July, but stop in late summer /early fall....you do not want to encourage succulant growth before they go into dormancy ...